Floating oil containment and absorbent barrier system

ABSTRACT

A floating oil containment system including a series of containment sections each having a boom portion and a collection curtain extending downwardly therefrom. The containment sections are connectable in series by fasteners inserted along their edges to form a floating oil containment system of a desired size and/or configuration. The collection curtain further generally is formed from an oil and/or chemical absorbent material that will absorb the oil or chemical materials, whereupon the containment section or collection curtain thereof can be removed and replaced for continued remediation of the spill site.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present patent application is a formalization of previously filed,co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/360,977,filed Jul. 2, 2010 by the inventor named in the present Application.This patent application claims the benefit of the filing date of thiscited Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/560,977 according tothe statutes and rules governing provisional patent applications,particularly 35 U.S.C. §119(a)(i) and 37 C.F.R. §1.78(a)(4) and (a)(5).The specification and drawings of the Provisional patent applicationreferenced above are specifically incorporated herein by reference as ifset forth in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to containment and clean-upsystems for chemical systems oil spills and the like. In particular, thepresent invention relates to a floating oil containment system having anabsorbent oil barrier material attachable thereto for absorption andremoval of oil and/or chemical contaminants at a spill site.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oil spills are among the worst man-made environmental disasters, oftenleading to not only significant damage to the surrounding environmentand the animals living in such an environment, but further raisingsignificant health concerns for humans. The ecological and economiceffects of such oil spills or similar chemical spills further can lastfor many years. For example, the recent deep-well drilling explosion andresultant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has created widespread damageto the coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida,including destroying oyster beds and fishing grounds along these coastalareas. This oil spill further has led to the deaths of thousands ofanimals, has threatened ecologically sensitive wetlands and tidal areasalong the coast, and has created serious health issues and economicissues, including loss of livelihoods, for the people living in theaffected areas.

As part of efforts stop such oil spills, traditional methods haveincluded the use of oil containment booms that are deployed in front ofthe spill plume or flow in an effort to try to contain the oil flow andblock its further passage from reaching coastline and wetland areas.However, problems exist with such conventional booms including theirsize and bulk leading to potential issues in transport and assembly, andthey typically are pre-assembled in large units or assemblies, which canlead to gaps therebetween when being installed and/or removed at a spillsite. Other containment methods include the use of absorbent materialsand vacuuming technologies.

Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for an approved oilbarrier and containment system that addresses the foregoing and otherrelated and unrelated problems in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, the present invention generally relates to a floatingoil containment and absorbent barrier system for the containment andabsorption/removal of oil, chemicals and other contaminant materials atan oil or chemical spill site. The floating oil containment andabsorbent barrier system further is generally designed for use in bodiesof water, although the present invention further can be adapted for usein various other environments or embodiments. The floating oilcontainment and absorbent barrier system is arranged in a series ofcontainment sections that can be connected in series as needed to easilyassemble a containment barrier system of a desired size and/orconfiguration and which can be assembled on-site rather than having tobe shipped and stored in a fully assembled condition or configuration.

The floating oil containment and absorbent barrier system includes afloating boom portion at an upper end thereof, which floating boomgenerally includes a body in which a buoyant, floatation material isreceived. The flotation material can include solid flotation materialssuch as a polystyrene or similar buoyant material, various expandablefoams or granular buoyant materials, inflatable air bladders, or othersimilar flotation materials that can be received and sealed within thepockets formed within the body of the floating boom portion. Thefloating boom portion further can be formed with an oil or chemicalabsorbent material to assist in the absorption of oil and/or otherfloating pollutant materials at a chemical or oil spill site.

A collection curtain is connected to the floating boom portion so as tobe supported by the floating boom portion, with the collection curtainextending downwardly therefrom. In a first embodiment, the collectioncurtain generally will be integrally formed with the floating boomportion extending below the buoyant material and being formed from asimilar oil and/or chemical absorbent material such as a spun bondpolyester, polypropylene, nylon or other synthetic fabric material thatcan further include woven or non-woven fabric materials or pads, andwhich is water permeable. The oil absorbent fabric is designed/selectedto be readily saturated and to hold oil and/or chemical pollutantsfloating in water as the water flows or passes therethrough so as tocollect and retain the oil and/or chemical pollutant materials thereinfor removal. The collection curtain generally will be connected to thefloating boom portion along a horizontally aligned belt that defines alower edge of the floating boom portion and an upper end of thecollection curtain, as well as along the sides thereof by theapplication of vertical lifting belts.

The vertical lifting belts typically will be formed from a reinforcingmaterial such as a fiberglass or synthetic poly belting scrim or othersimilar reinforcing material selected to provide sufficient tensilestrength to enable lifting and removal of a fully saturated collectioncurtain and/or boom portion. The vertical lifting belts furthergenerally will be provided with attachment mechanisms such as grommetsor similar fastening mechanisms to enable the insertion of fastenerstherethrough for connection of the sides of the collection curtainsand/or floating boom portions of each containment section to an adjacentcontainment section for connection of the containment sections in seriesas needed to define a desired length and/or configuration floating oilcontainment and absorbent barrier system.

In an alternative embodiment, the collection curtain can be formed as areplaceable skirt that can be removably attached to the floating boomportion of a containment section to enable removal and replacement ofjust the saturated collection curtain component of a containment sectionas needed. In this embodiment, the collection curtain skirt can beformed with an upper belt or band extending across the upper edgethereof and which can be attached vertically to the extending liftingbelts arranged along the sides of the floating boom portion and to thehorizontally extending belt of the floating boom portion via releasablefasteners to enable removal of the collection curtain upon saturationand ease of replacement of the collection curtain with a new, cleancollection curtain, without having to disengage the floating boomportions, and thus disengage or otherwise break up and/or remove thefloating oil containment and absorbent barrier system or a series ofcontainment sections thereof in order to replace one or more saturatedcollection curtains.

Various features, objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of thefollowing detailed description, when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

In addition, according to common practice, the various features of thedrawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensionsof various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded orreduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floating oil containment with oilabsorbent barrier material attached thereto according to one embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a front view illustrating the components of the floating oilcontainment system with oil absorbent barrier according to theprinciples of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustrating the components of thefloating oil containment system with oil absorbent barrier according tothe principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a section of the floating oil containment systemwith oil absorbent barrier material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As illustrated in the drawings, the floating oil containment andabsorbent barrier system formed according to the principles of thepresent invention, is designed to provide a containment and chemicalspill absorption system that is easily transportable and assemblable inthe field, and which further includes a chemical or oil absorbentbarrier material or covering that can be removably attached as neededfor rapid replacement or reconditioning. This system can haveapplication for clean-up operations such as for oil spills as well asother types of chemical spills as will be understood in the art. Inparticular, the floating oil containment and absorbent barrier systemcan have affiliation for containment and removal of oil and otherchemical pollutants floating in/on bodies of water such as on the ocean,and in lakes, rivers or streams.

As generally illustrated in FIGS. 1-2A, the floating oil containmentsystem 10 can be formed in multiple containment sections 11 that can belinkable in series to form a floating containment structure of a desiredlength and depth as needed. Each section 11 generally includes a buoyantor floating boom portion 12 with a collection curtain or skirt 13attached to and extending downwardly therefrom. The floating boomportions 12 and collection curtains 13 an be separately assembled andstored and can be provided in various dimensions for assembly intocontainment sections of varying sizes, such that the floating oilcontainment system assembled therefrom can be formed in differentlengths and can include various attachment mechanisms for securing thecontainment sections together. For example, the floating oil containmentsystem sections 11 can be approximately 10 to 15 feet in length, andapproximately 3 to 5 feet in height, although it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that the floating oil containment sectionsfurther can be formed with other, varying dimensions, including greateror lesser lengths and/or greater or lesser heights. Consequently, fordeeper spills or containment plumes, containment sections having greaterheights or depths can be used, or for smaller spills or areas wherespace is more contained/limited, smaller dimension sections also can beused.

As generally illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the boom portion 12 of thefloating oil containment system 10, according to at least one embodimentof the present invention, generally can have an elongated rectangular orsubstantially cylindrical configuration body 15, and typically can havea substantially flat upper surface or top 14, although it also can havea rounded or other configuration as well, of a width or size sufficientto provide a surface or area for support of birds and other wildlifeabove the spill. The boom portion further can be approximately 6 inchesto 12 inches in width, although greater or lesser widths also can beused depending upon the environment. The height and/or depth of the boomportion of the floating oil containment system further can beapproximately 8 inches to approximately 18 inches in height, andapproximately 6 inches to 12 inches in depth, although other dimensionsalso can be provided. For example, depending upon the environment orparticular application of the floating oil containment system, such asin areas of heavy wave activity or as needed to provide buffering zonesof a desired size, the floating boom portion can be formed with greateror lesser widths or depths and/or heights to widen, flatten or and/ordeepen buffering and/or buoyancy attributes.

In one embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the boom portion 12 caninclude one or more sections or pieces 16 of a buoyant material receivedand generally encapsulated within the body 15 of the boom portion 12.The body of the boom portion further can be formed from an oil absorbentfabric including woven or non-woven fabric materials, such as a spunbond polyester fabric, various melt blown polypropylene, nylon or othersimilar synthetic absorbent fabric materials, as well as various naturalmaterials including cotton or blends thereof. For example, the oilabsorbent fabric material could include a “Belted Silt RetentionFencing” material, comprising a reinforced, flexible and water permeablewoven or non-woven fabric with a reinforcing element extending along thefabric and adapted to support and prevent ripping or tearing of thefabric, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,465,129, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein.

Alternatively, the body of the floating boom portion also can be formedfrom an oil or chemical resistant material that resists absorption ofoil or chemical pollutants by the boom portion, and/or a non-permeablematerial that prevents water and the oil and/or chemical pollutantscontained therein from passing through the floating boom portion andcontacting the buoyant materials contained therein. Additionally, thefabric material of the floating boom portion can include or can becoated with an ultraviolet protective material so as to resistdegradation and/or breakdown of the fabric material fibers due toexposure to sunlight over extended periods of time.

As indicated in FIG. 2A, the flotation or buoyant materials 16 of thefloating boom portion 12 can include a variety of buoyant materials, forexample, blocks 17 of polystyrene or Styrofoam materials having highbuoyancy content, which blocks can be inserted into pockets orreceptacles 18 formed within the body 15 of the boom portion 12, withthe pockets being sealable to compartmentalize the flotation material.In addition, the boom portion can be formed as a substantially elongatedtube or unitary structure in which the flotation material 16, such as asingle elongated polystyrene mass or block, or multiple blocks, can beinserted. Other flotation materials can include aggregates or expandablefoam materials 19 and/or air bladders 21, or other, similar buoyantmaterials, as indicated in FIG. 2A.

Still further, the floating boom portion 12 can be formed with multiplepockets or compartments in which the various flotation materials or thelike can be inserted for inflation or expansion in the field. Such aconstruction of the boom portion 12 of the floating oil containmentsystem 10 thus enables easy transport of the floating oil containmentsystem in sections that can be substantially folded flat and thereafterassembled or unrolled in the field, and the flotation material insertedtherein, air bladders inflated, or the boom portion otherwise expandedto provide buoyancy or flotation for the floating oil containment systemand enable easy and efficient transport to and assembly at various spillsites. The pockets 18 and/or the body 15 further can include releasableclosures 20 (FIGS. 1 and 2B), such as snaps, hook and loop closures,slide closures, and/or other similar closures so as to enable thepockets to be sealed and re-opened as needed to enable change-out orreplacement of the buoyant materials as needed or desired for specificuse or application.

The collection curtain 13 of the floating oil containment system 10,according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, isgenerally illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2B. In the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 1, the side edges of the collection curtain 13 areshown as generally being formed with or as an extension of the boomportion 12 of the containment section 11 of the floating oil containmentsystem. The boom portion is generally separated from the collectioncurtain by a synthetic poly belting material or high tensile strengthbelt 22, which defines a lower edge or bottom of the floating boomportion and the upper end of the collection curtain. The belt 22 can bemade from a high-strength woven or non-woven reinforcing material,selected to provide sufficient tensile strength and resistance totearing to enable the lifting ad removal of a collection curtain andboom portion that have become fully saturated with absorbed oil/chemicalcontainments. For example, the belt 22 can include a fiberglass or othernatural or polymeric fiber scrim material or a similar high-strengthreinforcing belt material having upwards of 2,000-5000+ pounds tensilestrength.

The collection curtain and boom portions further can be connected alongthe sides thereof by vertically extending lifting belts 23 generallyformed from a similar high-strength belting material such as a woven ornon-woven material such as a fiberglass or other high strength polymericbelting material or scrim as the horizontal belt 22. Such beltingmaterials will be selected to provide sufficient tensile strength andresistance to tearing to enable the lifting ad removal of a collectioncurtain and boom portion that have become fully saturated with absorbedoil/chemical containments. The tufting belts 23 typically will beapplied to the collection curtain and boom portion by sewing, thermal oradhesive bonding, fasteners or otherwise attaching or forming the beltswith the collection curtain and boom portion. The vertical lifting beltstypically will provide at least 1,500-2,000 pounds of tensile strengthand further can include lifting loops or straps 24 defined at theirupper ends. The belts 23 will then support the side edges of the boomportion 12 and collection curtain 13, to provide stability and secureconnection areas for connection of the containment sections 11 in seriesfor assembly of the floating oil containment system.

Grommets or other, similar attachment mechanisms 25 further areillustrated as being positioned at desired locations along the length ofthe vertical lifting belts 23. These grommets or other attachmentmechanisms can serve to help facilitate the attachment of multiplesections 11 of the floating oil containment system 10 in series wherebythe side edges of adjoining floating oil containment system sections 11can be overlapped and secured relatively quickly and easily through theinsertion of fasteners 26 such as rivets, bolts, tie straps, hooks,clasps, or other, similar fastening mechanisms as indicated in FIGS. 1and 2B. These fastening mechanisms 26 further can be removable to enableselective removal of one or more containment sections of the floatingoil containment system as such containment sections become saturatedwith oil. As indicated in FIG. 2A, additional attachment mechanisms suchas grommets 25′ also can be placed along the horizontal belt 22 toprovide additional connection points for lifting of a containmentsection that is saturated with oil to spread the load more evenly acrossthe belt 22 as needed.

In addition, the body 13A of the collection curtain 13 will be made froman oil or chemical absorbent fabric material such as a spun bond or meltblown polyester or polypropylene material, such as is used for coveringthe boom portion 12, although other, similar woven and/or non-woven oilor chemical absorbent materials also can be used. For example, the oilabsorbent fabric material could include a “Belted Silt RetentionFencing” material, comprising a reinforced, flexible and water permeablewoven or non-woven fabric with a reinforcing element extending along thefabric and adapted to support and prevent ripping or tearing of thefabric, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,465,129, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein. Othermaterials, such as a Nano-wire mesh formed from an oil or chemicalabsorbent material, or an oil/chemically absorbent pad sandwichedbetween layers of a water permeable filtration material or scrim alsocan be used.

As noted, the body of the collection curtain is formed of a waterpermeable oil/chemical absorbent material so as to enable a desiredlevel of flow of water through the collection curtain while filteringout and absorbing oil, chemicals and particulate materials. For example,a screening or filtering material can be used, having openingstherethrough with an apparent opening size (AOS) of about 0.175 mm-0.600mm, up to about 1.0-1.5 mm, although it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that greater or lesser size openings also can beprovided, depending on the application and range of particulate sizes oragglomerated cut to be filtered. The AOS or filtration level of thecollection curtain, as well as the size and thickness thereof, furthergenerally can be selected based upon a desired level of oil and/orparticulate matter collection and/or saturation of the collectioncurtain being attained prior to removal and replacement thereof. Thecollection curtain further generally will have a tensile strength of atleast about 75-200 lb. or greater, and a bursting strength of at least150-500 lb., or greater such that the collection curtain has sufficientstrength to withstand oil/chemical saturation and removal from a sitewithout tearing or otherwise coming apart when lifted or handled.

In addition, as indicated in FIG. 2B, the collection curtain 13 can beprovided with reinforcements (indicated at phantom lines 30) thatprovide additional structural support and strength to be collectioncurtain in use and when being lifted or removed from a site aftersaturation. For example, as noted, the collection curtain can be formedfrom a “Betted Silt Retention Fencing,” material, as disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 7,465,129 (incorporated herein by reference), which includesspaced reinforcements such as belts or strips of a fiberglass scrim orpoly belting material that resists tearing and provides additionalsupport to the body 13A of the collection curtain. Such reinforcementscan be attached by sewing, bonding or other attachment means, or can bewoven or otherwise integrated into/with the body of the collectioncurtain.

The collection curtain generally can be of a desired thickness, forexample, approximately ¼ inch to upwards of 2-3 inches, as needed toprovide sufficient oil absorption depending upon the application anduse. Other thicknesses of the collection curtain also can be used. Thecollection curtain shown additionally typically will have a lengthapproximately equivalent to the boom portion, e.g., 10 to 15 feet, andgenerally can be of a height of approximately 3 to 4 feet, althoughother sizes also can be utilized. The size of the collection and/orreplacement curtain thus can be selected or varied as needed to enablequick and easy removal of the collection curtain as it becomes saturatedwith oil or other chemical materials. For example, where the collectioncurtain is removably attached to the boom portion, the collectioncurtain can be formed in sections or of a length and/or height selectedto enable its easy removal and replacement while in the water eithermanually or with tools such as an electric winch. Alternatively, theentire section of the floating oil containment system, including theboom portion, covered with the oil absorbent material can be removed andreplaced upon detachment from the adjacent sections of the floating oilcontainment system, via the lifting straps 24.

Still further, the collection curtain 13 can include a lower pocket 28(FIG. 2A) in which a weighting material 29 can be positioned or receivedto facilitate maintaining the collection curtain in a downwardly hangingorientation as the collection curtain is subjected to currents and wavesbuffeting thereagainst. Examples of weighting materials can includesand, crushed rock, concrete or other, similar aggregate materialsinserted into the pocket. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 2, theweighting material further can include a chain or cable 31 of a desiredweight and/or strength that will be inserted through and extends alongthe pocket 28 and which further can be connected at its opposite ends toadditional chains or cables inserted through the weighting pockets ofadditional sections of the floating oil containment system. As a result,the bottom portions of the collection curtains of the various connectedsections 11 (FIG. 1) of the floating oil containment system can belinked together in series so as to provide additional stability to thelower ends of the collection curtains of a series of connected sectionsas well as substantially simultaneously providing a weighting featurefor the bottom portions of the collection curtains.

As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the collection curtain 13 also can be formedas a replaceable skirt 35 that can be removably attached to the boomportion 12 of the floating oil containment system 10 by fasteners 27such as hooks, bolts, rivets, ties or the like inserted along thehorizontal reinforcing strap or belt 22 between the boom portion andcollection curtain. In such an embodiment, the floating boom portion 12can be left in place, in an installed configuration at a spill site, orsimply raised to enable ease of access to the collection curtain, andthe saturated collection curtain can be unfastened and removed from theboom portion and replaced with a new collection curtain as needed. Thecollection curtain or skirt 35, indicated in FIG. 2B, generally willinclude a horizontally extending band or border strip 36 at an upper end37 thereof, which band or border strip 36 generally will be formed forma similar high strength reinforcement material, such as a fiberglassscrim or other polymeric material, as the belt 22 of the floating boomportion and vertical lifting belts 23. A series of connectors 38, suchas grommets 39, can be mounted along the band 36 for receipt offasteners 27 therein for releasably mounting the band 36 of skirt 35 tothe horizontally extending belt 22 of the boom portion as indicated inFIG. 2B.

Still further, the collection curtain 13 (FIG. 2B) can be formed withadditional mounting or lifting straps 42/43 or connections 44 (FIG. 2A)for mounting straps or fasteners along its upper and lower edges sothat, for exceptionally deep plumes, additional collection curtains orsections of the collection curtain can be attached to extend the depthor height of the collection curtain as needed. Such connectionsadditionally could be utilized to assist in the removal of saturatedportions of the collection curtain with the danger of oil passingthrough an opening created by the removal of the collection curtainbeing substantially minimized. In such an application, the collectioncurtain could be formed with multiple vertically connected sections thatextend down several feet, and, as the upper sections become saturatedwith oil or other materials, they could be removed from the boom and asthey are raised, the lower sections can then be attached to the boomwhile the upper section is removed for disposal and collection of oilsaturated therein, without creating or leaving an opening through whichthe contained flow of oil could pass.

Accordingly, it can be seen that the present invention provides afloating or buoyant oil containment system that can be quickly andeasily transported and assembled in the field. One problem with a numberof traditional oil absorbent booms or similar containment systems isthat they typically must be pre-formed in extremely large, expandedsections of 10 to 20 feet or more, which makes their transport, handlingand assembly somewhat difficult. With the present invention, however,the containment sections 11 of the floating oil containment system(i.e., the boom portions and connected collection curtains) can beprovided on elongated rolls or can be folded in individual sections,without the flotation materials incorporated or included therein, forease of stacking, storage and transport. Thereafter, when thecontainment sections are transported to a spill site, the sections canbe simply unfolded or unrolled and filled with a flotation materialon-site, and quickly and easily connected to additional containmentsections or lengths of the floating oil containment system by persons inthe field.

As a further alternative, the boom portion and collection curtains canbe separately formed and can be assembled together in the field tofurther enable customization of the floating oil containment systemaccording to the size of extent of a spill to be contained, and toenable removal and replacement of saturated collection curtains asneeded without necessarily having to remove the entire containmentsection or oil containment system. The containment sections also can beinstalled at a containment site for collection of and/or saturation withoil and/or other pollutant materials, and after being saturated, can bequickly and easily disconnected from adjacent sections and removed andreplaced. The simple assembly and connection of the floating oilcontainment system of the present invention thus enables its use byrelatively unskilled workers, which further facilitates its rapid useand deployment.

It further will be understood by those skilled in the art that while thepresent invention has been described above with reference to preferredembodiments, numerous variations, modifications, and additions can bemade thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

1. A floating oil containment system for containment and absorption ofoil spills, comprising: A floating boom portion including a buoyantmaterial; a collection curtain formed from a water permeable, oilabsorbent fabric material and connected to and extending downwardly fromthe floating boom portion, whereby the floating boom portion is providedwith a sufficient level of buoyancy to enable the boom portion to floatwith the collection curtain supported by the floating boom portion andextending therebelow for collection and absorption of oil from the oilspill.
 2. The floating oil containment system of claim 1 and wherein thecollection curtain is removably attached to the floating boom portion.3. The floating oil containment system of claim 1 and wherein thebuoyant material included within the floating boom portion comprisespolystyrene blocks, air bladders, or expandable foam materials.
 4. Thefloating oil containment system of claim 1 and wherein the floating boomportion and collection curtain are integrally formed, and furthercomprising vertical lifting belts arranged along side portions of thecollection curtain and floating boom portion, the vertical lifting beltsincluding a series of fastener connections at spaced locationstherealong to facilitate connection of additional sections of thefloating oil containment system in series.
 5. The floating containmentsystem of claim 1 and wherein said oil absorbent material furthercomprises a water permeable filtering sheet material having an apparentopening size of about 0.175 mm to about 1.0 mm.
 6. A floatingcontainment system adapted to contain a chemical spill, comprising: atleast one containment section, comprising a floating boom portionadjacent an upper end of said containment section, and a collectioncurtain releasably mountable to said floating boom portion and extendingdownwardly therefrom, a buoyant material received within said floatingboom portion to provide buoyancy to said at least one containmentsection when said at least one containment section is used in a body ofwater; and at least one connector located adjacent at least one sideedge of said collection curtain for engaging and releasably connectingan additional containment section to said at least one containmentsection; wherein said collection curtain comprises a chemical and/or oilabsorbent fabric material adapted to absorb liquid chemicals or oil, andwherein, upon saturation of said collection curtain with liquidchemicals or oil, said collection curtain is releasable from itsmounting to said floating boom portion for replacement of saidcollection curtain without also requiring removal and replacement of thefloating boom portion of the at least one containment section.
 7. Thefloating containment system of claim 6 and wherein said oil absorbentfabric material of said collection curtain comprises a spun bond or meltblown polypropylene or polyester sheet material.
 8. The floatingcontainment system of claim 7 and wherein said oil absorbent materialfurther comprises a water permeable filtering sheet material having anapparent opening size of about 0.175 mm to about 1.0 mm.
 9. The floatingcontainment system of claim 7 and further comprising a weightingmaterial received within a pocket adjacent a lower end of saidcollection curtain.
 10. The floating containment system of claim 9 andwherein said weighting material comprises a chain.
 11. The floatingcontainment system of claim 9 and wherein said weighting materialcomprises a series of weights connectable to said lower end of saidcollection curtain.
 12. The floating containment system of claim 7 andwherein said collection curtain further comprises reinforcing membersarranged at spaced locations along said collection curtain.